The Sweetness all Around

A lone Rose of Sharon (hibiscus syriacus) blossom brightens the dog days
of summer at Lullwater Park on Wednesday.

We are finally in the waning days of summer, thank goodness. I can't recall ever being so happy to have the end of August in my sights. Just when I thought Autumn might not come at all this year, we got a little break in the heat with even cooler temps forecasted over the next several days.

I've been away from this blog for nearly two months. I am coming out of a bit of depression - brought on first by the move, and then enhanced by the oppressive heat, and further aggravated by eliminating all refined sugar from my diet. Life has just seemed too dull and gray, too hot, too dry, too old, too hard. Not sweet at all. But in the last few days, I have felt a glimmer of happiness returning. I am taking notice again of the sweetness all around: the electric yellow goldfinches at the bird feeder. The mandevilla vine with screaming red blooms. Zara the neighborhood greyhound who finally made friends with me and Melvin. The lone Rose of Sharon blossom at Lullwater yesterday. Sweetness truly is all around.

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Back at the beginning of the year, during one of my waves of introversion, I locked this blog down (again) so that only the people closest to me could read it. I was afraid that people would judge me because I was still working on my nutrition and trying to lose weight. And failing miserably. Now I'm unlocking it again, feeling somehow liberated to just be who I am, failures, flaws and all. Perfect example -- I've worn a sleeveless top out in public on more than one occasion recently. No one cares! Life is too short (and too hot) to hide out. Or cover up.